D35 · Electricity and Gas Utilities · 3 measures · 5 regions

Carbon intensity of electricity

Global: 445 gCO2/kWh in 2024. IEA projects 415 gCO2/kWh for 2026.

  • 445 gCO2/kWh Carbon intensity of electricity generation · Global · 2024
  • 3Measures
  • 3Countries · 2024–2024

Verified 27 Sep 2026 · 1 publisher · 13 records · Next period 2025

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Carbon intensity of electricity generation

The best-covered measure of carbon intensity of electricity. Every point opens its record; the values are one click away under the chart.

Fig 1 · D35 · Carbon intensity of electricity generation Annual

Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region

3 regions, 2024 to 2026

3 regions · 6 observations · 2024 to 2026

Forecast: dashed line, hollow markers, shaded band

Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 regions on one axis: Global, China, European Union. 6 observations from 2024 to 2026, ranging from 140 gCO2/kWh to 565 gCO2/kWh, of which 3 are forecasts. Latest values: Global 415 gCO2/kWh (2026); China 505 gCO2/kWh (2026); European Union 140 gCO2/kWh (2026). gCO2/kWh 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 2024 2025 2026 FORECAST Global China European Union
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 regions on one axis: Global, China, European Union. 6 observations from 2024 to 2026, ranging from 140 gCO2/kWh to 565 gCO2/kWh, of which 3 are forecasts. Latest values: Global 415 gCO2/kWh (2026); China 505 gCO2/kWh (2026); European Union 140 gCO2/kWh (2026). gCO2/kWh 0 200 400 600 2024 2025 2026 FORECAST Global China European Union
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 regions on one axis: Global, China, European Union. 6 observations from 2024 to 2026, ranging from 140 gCO2/kWh to 565 gCO2/kWh, of which 3 are forecasts. Latest values: Global 415 gCO2/kWh (2026); China 505 gCO2/kWh (2026); European Union 140 gCO2/kWh (2026). gCO2/kWh 0 200 400 600 2024 2025 2026 FORECAST Global China European Union
View the underlying data
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region
Region Period Type Value
Global 2026 Forecast 415 gCO2/kWh
Global 2024 Actual 445 gCO2/kWh
China 2026 Forecast 505 gCO2/kWh
China 2024 Actual 565 gCO2/kWh
European Union 2026 Forecast 140 gCO2/kWh
European Union 2024 Actual 175 gCO2/kWh
Source: IEA · gCO2/kWh · CC BY 4.0 · statorigin.org
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<p><a href="https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity">Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region</a>, data from StatOrigin, CC BY 4.0</p>
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Forecasts are dashed, with hollow markers.

Fig 2 · D35 · Latest by region

Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region

Latest value per region, 2024

3 entries
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 categories, highest is China at 565 gCO2/kWh. European Union China Global 175 gCO2/kWh 565 gCO2/kWh 445 gCO2/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 categories, highest is China at 565 gCO2/kWh. European Union China Global 175 gCO2/kWh 565 gCO2/kWh 445 gCO2/kWh
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by regionCarbon intensity of electricity generation by region. 3 categories, highest is China at 565 gCO2/kWh. European Union China Global 175 gCO2/kWh 565 gCO2/kWh 445 gCO2/kWh
View the underlying data
Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region
Category Source Type Value
Global IEA Actual 445 gCO2/kWh
China IEA Actual 565 gCO2/kWh
European Union IEA Actual 175 gCO2/kWh
Source: IEA · gCO2/kWh · CC BY 4.0 · statorigin.org
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Free to embed, including commercially. The attribution bar is part of the chart; it is what keeps the data citable.

<iframe src="https://statorigin.org/embed/utilities--carbon-intensity-of-electricity-generation--by-region" width="100%" height="380" style="border:1px solid #e2e5e3;border-radius:8px" title="Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity">Carbon intensity of electricity generation by region</a>, data from StatOrigin, CC BY 4.0</p>
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Every measure of carbon intensity of electricity

3 measures: the same subject cut by product, segment, basis or form. Each has its own page with every record.

Carbon intensity of electricity by country

A page for every country with at least three records:

Frequently asked questions

What does carbon intensity of electricity measure?

Amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced per unit of electricity generated.

What is the latest carbon intensity of electricity generation?

Global: 445 gCO2/kWh in 2024. IEA projects 415 gCO2/kWh for 2026.

Which countries does this carbon intensity of electricity data cover?

3 countries, with a page each for China.

Where does the data come from?

From 2 documents published by IEA. Every figure links to its record, which quotes the sentence or table row it was read from.

How often is it updated?

Annual; the newest figure covers 2024, and the next release should cover 2025.

Sources

2 documents from 1 publisher. Each links to the publisher's own copy.

Cite this page

Published under CC BY 4.0: free to reuse, including commercially, with attribution to StatOrigin and the original publisher. To cite one figure, open its record.

StatOrigin. (2026). Carbon intensity of electricity statistics [Data set]. Retrieved September 29, 2026, from https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity

"Carbon intensity of electricity statistics." StatOrigin, 2026, https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

StatOrigin. "Carbon intensity of electricity statistics." Data set, 2026. Accessed September 29, 2026. https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity.

@misc{statorigin_carbon_intensity_of_electricity_2026, title = {Carbon intensity of electricity statistics}, author = {{StatOrigin}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://statorigin.org/statistics/carbon-intensity-of-electricity}, note = {Data set. Accessed 2026-09-29} }